The Choice of the Silver Angel
by Exalted Demi-Soul
Summary: Living a chance at life, Shinji Ikari had been about to become a new person. However, that semblance of peace will come crashing down as another sinister figure threatens to gain absolute power. Knowing absolute power corrupts absolutely, he set out to join his allies in defeating his enemies. Shinji X Litchi / Shinji X Noel. Not Harem! The Wheel of Fate is turning once more!


**For those of you wondering, yes I am going to continue writing Whirl of Fantasy. I'm waiting for my jump drive to be returned. I should be getting it back by a week from today, so look forward to that chapter and the others I have to finish off.**

**Also, Be sure to visit the polls to decide Shinji's rivals!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either of the series involved nor do I own any tributes to other series that may show themselves as the story continues. But I call dibbs on attacks I create myself.**

**Legend:**

"Why me?" - Normal talking

_"Why then?" – _Whispers and Voices from memories. Includes flashbacks.

_'Why us?' - _thoughts

**"Why you?" – **Empowered beings.

**[Why here?] **– Mechanical Voices and radio devices.

**_"Why now?"_** - Skills or Techniques

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**Chapter 1: Defy Thy Past, And Shatter the Wheel**

Life is never easy. You either take it as it come and stand tall, or you risk letting it beat you down until you can't fight back. Shinji Ikari learned this the hard way. When he was younger, he tended to let everyone use him for their own ends and never really made a choice of his own as he grew up. His father, who was cold to the boy, used him. Misato was nice enough to him but used him as well as was used for her own hate toward the Angels. Asuka made use of him to hide her insecurities as she was used. Rei was a blank slate who was used just as he was. His friends used him to cover their guilt, but all the same, he was used.

He mother was used. Her very soul taken and used to give life to the beast that was used to dictate his life. Her DNA used to create an angelic hybrid, who he spent so much time getting to know.

Everyone in NERV had gotten used by his tyrannical father. The people of that hidden organization, SEELE, who wanted to use NERV, were used by his father. Even the Angels were a means to an end. It was sickening.

So many lives were lost and manipulated, all to further the plans of a man who wanted to feel the touch of his wife once more. Gendo Ikari, no, he was Gendo Rokubungi. Shinji would no longer allow that man to besmirch his mother's name. It angered him. His mother loved him and, though she had plans of her own, she still held him close to her heart whereas Gendo wanted to rid himself of his own son. Claiming himself unable to stay close in fear of hurting the boy, but that was a lie. He got rid of him because Yui loved him. His mother loved him and his father was not sure how to handle it. So, with her death, he merely removed his presence as he sought after Yui in any form he could.

Weak. Gendo Rokubungi was a weak man. Shinji realized that now. He could look back on those days and sigh. Any thoughts concerning his father had a tendency to anger to a degree him but Shinji did not hate him. He was almost indifferent when topic concerning his father did not include his mother, or his friends. Yes, they were still his friends, because as well as they used him, he used them, too.

He used them to prove he had a place in the world. Despite how small and painful that place was, he used it. It was his way of shouting to the world that he existed. A way to say, Shinji Ikari was alive! He became a fighter! He did not just run away!

Funny thing, the world is. No one knew who he was now. When the Third Impact was initiated and Instrumentality began, he sent he friends to new lives in different worlds were they could live a life free of the Angels. They did not even have to deal with the lies of false realities. No, they were separated from their home world. No memories or anything to connect them to it and no way to gain knowledge of the past, but that was not the case for him. Although he never knew what happened to Rei. She and Lilith just vanished without a trace.

Conversely, their freedom is where his problem began. To give others a second chance at life, he had given up a great portion of his humanity. Lilith, in the end, showed him a bit of compassion and placed him in a separate dimension as well, but she left his origins intact. He knew who he was and what he was now, and it would be both his reward and punishment for his past actions. He understood his powers and abilities so well that he began to wonder how he and the others managed to beat the Angels. He, as a Nephilim, could tell that he could probably defeat an Evangelion alone, and yet he was not as powerful as Kowaru, who actually managed to bend one to his will.

Shinji chuckled quietly. They had really won by the skin of their teeth, but that part of his life was over. He now had a new home.

It was a world filled with danger and the environment could be better than it currently was, but it gave him a new chance at life. In this new world, there were uplifted cities all over the inhabitable sections of the globe called Hierarchical Cities for people to live in but they were run by the Novus Orbis Librarium. This was to prevent humans from being harmed by large quantities of an atmospheric substance called seithr, which was spread by a creature known as the Black Beast. It was harmless in small quantities but deadly in large amounts. The hazard was great at times since it could neither be seen nor smelled.

It altered things but the people learned how to endure and adapt to the substance and found ways to use it. One way was with Ars Magus. People could draw seithr out of the environment to power them, but they would only work for so long since there was only so much seithr in a given area. After it was all used up, the person would have to wait for the seithr to replenish. Since the Ars Armagus applications were used for serious combat and Ars Magus outside of combat, they helped people with their jobs and protecting themselves.

Some Armagus possessed peculiar abilities, so his newfound powers were well hidden. He would even practice using his powers in his spared time, and he was confident that he could put any Eva to shame.

Add his Ars Armagus to the equation, and, wow!

Currently, Shinji lived in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. The dark brown haired Ikari travelled around as much of the world as he could for nearly five years before he settled down in Kagutsuchi and opened a restaurant he named Heaven's Helper.

The dark brunet boy found himself laughing about the name every so often after naming it, but when people asked why, he'd say, "It's an inside joke." The place was popular and had been going strong for about four years now. He received offers to move it into the upper half of Kagutsuchi but he declined the offer. His life was better now, and he refused to forget the people who helped his business grow. And although he had to rely on himself in tough spots, he no longer allowed anyone to use him.

He was proud of himself.

\\\ - Heaven's Helper - /

Shinji yawned as he opened the door to his restaurant in Orient Town. It was probably the largest one in the part of Kagutsuchi, but he still had his share of issues. Particularly, he was stuck dealing with idiots who thought they could dine and dash or rough the place up for a free meal. When it wasn't them, it was an arrogant noble or soldier trying to strong arm him.

Luckily, or unluckily according to who you were, he learned more than just how to prepare a few dozen dishes since his life as an inhabitant of this world began. On the road, he had to get used to fending off bandits and other rogues who tried to mug him. He had a few run ins with the NOL and some organization called Sector Seven due to his powers, but he got away without too much hassle outside of knocking out a few squads or giving some brash idiot an extra lump or two. He never took himself for the fighting type originally, but once he got the hang of it, he found himself enjoying it. He was even a bit of a vigilante at one point but not many would recognize him. There was a good reason for that, of course.

"Another day, another dollar, I guess," Shinji said as his clear blue eyes scanned the room. He looked different than he had as a young teen. The 23, almost 24, year old was standing at 5"11' and 157 pounds. He wasn't skinny but he wasn't bulky either. Life on the road gave him a chance to build a strong and fast body, as well as a sturdy base of confidence. So, now the new Shinji Ikari began to take down chairs and set the tables of his accomplished restaurant.

It took about half an hour to get everything arranged and the kitchen set up, but it went faster after his employees began to clock in. It was not long before he turned the entrée sign to open and the first group of customers entered the buildings.

It was an average day at his restaurant. Greet the people, cook, go on break, cook, beat up a few idjits, and call it a day. That was how his day, usually, went, but imagine his surprise when he came back from his break and came face to face with a young woman in an NOL uniform…or what there was of it. She showed a lot of skin in her short, blue and white one piece dress/skirt combo that showed a lot of her back with her blonde hair pushed into her hat that matched her clothes. Her green eyes seemed determined but held a nervous glint within them. She looked good, so he did something he hadn't done for a few awhile now. He blushed.

"Excuse me, sir, are you the owner of this establishment?" asked the blonde woman. She had just came into the restaurant to give out a Wanted flyer and ask if they had seen the internationally, infamous criminal, Ragna the Bloodedge.

She thought the owner would be an old or middle aged person, imagine her surprise to see a fit young man wearing a dark blue, button up shirt fastened until the top three buttons, showing a black undershirt , with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing well-toned arms. He wore black slacks and black shoes that were so dark on the sides that they seemed to pull in the light them. She also saw a pair of gloves in his back pocket before he turned.

She was just looking at the gloves before he turned around, that's all. She wasn't staring at his butt! Really!

What caught her attention the most, other than his _gloves_, was his black hair that hung around his shoulders and framed his face a bit, and pulling her eyes to his own icy blues that reflected her image. She wanted to come off as firm when she walked in but now she was feeling her apprehension seeping back into her attitude.

Shinji coughed into his hand and collected himself before speaking, unknowingly giving her the same chance, "Yes, I am. I'm Shinji Ikari. How may I help you, Miss…?"

"Oh, right! My name is Lieutenant Noel Vermillion of the NOL and I wanted to ask if you have seen this criminal recently. There have been reports concerning sightings of him entering the city," the now named officer, Noel, said as she hands him a flyer. She was hoping he could help her. Ragna the Bloodedge was her one good lead to finding the Major.

Shinji opened the flyer and felt his eye twitch at the image.

It was a wanted poster for Ragna the Bloodedge. The army of one who had been destroying NOL bases in the Hierarchical Cities everywhere. He knew the guy as a good buddy of his, so he could say the picture was meant to make the man seem like the root of villainy.

Ragna wasn't all that bad.

He was a little on the coarse side of the language border at times but he was a decent guy when it came down to his reasons and dedication. Hell, the so-called criminal was one of the few people he personally allowed to know who he was as both a civilian and a vigilante. So, even if he had seen him, he wouldn't sell him out. He protected his friends, after all.

"Sorry, Miss Noel, but I haven't," Shinji said as he gave her the flyer back, "Maybe you should stop by a little later. I guarantee it will be worth your time. The food is to die for!" He gave her a little wink as he led her to the door. He must have gotten to her because she blushed a bit and, with a slight stutter, she agreed before dashing off.

He swore he heard a loud squeal but shrugged it off as nothing. He would never know that countless citizen went deaf from the squeal of an overexcited, young woman.

When he was about to walk into the back to grab his apron, the door opened again to reveal a grumbling, white haired man with mismatched eyes. Shinji felt his right eye practically thrashing about on his face. _'He's either the luckiest guy in the world or my luck's just bad…Then again, considering who I am…'_

You see, as luck would have it, the very person he was just questioned about walked in after the wanted poster came through.

"You have a knack for causing others trouble, Ragna," he said, causing the man to go rigid before he eyed the person who spoke. He received a pleasant surprise in seeing Shinji, who stood there staring at the man with a deadpan expression.

"Oh, it's just you, Shinji," cue a twitch, "This your place?" Shinji nodded and led him to a table in the back. It would let Ragna get a good view of the entrance while it gave him a bit of cover.

"Yeah, I told you I wanted to open a restaurant. It turned out pretty good," Shinji said with a slight grin as he looked around his building, "I even have people from the upper levels coming here in the evenings. They wanted me to transfer up, but…you know."

Ragna looked around as well. It looked too good to be in the lower half of the city, maybe that explained why the area had been cleaned up a bit. The higher ups were probably trying to make the area around it more appealing for the _higher class_ citizens. He smirked and said, "You never turn you back even if you're scared shitless."

"I mustn't run away. That phrase kept me going, and it kept me alive," Shinji leaned against the wall and sighed before looking up, his eyes turned red for a moment before returning to their blue hue. "Even when it hurt, I just couldn't stop if it meant I could save someone. If I could just see one person smiling at me, just accepting…seeing those acknowledged me happy…"

Ragna gave him a solemn nod. He understood the feeling.

"Anyway, that's enough brooding. What'll you have, Mister Customer?" Shinji said with a grin. The years do wonders for a guy who would have sooner shied away into a corner than joke around to change the mood. His pal returned the grin in kind.

"Yes sir, Mister Owner. I'd like two of these T-bone steaks…" he continued to order as Shinji wrote it down and walked into the back and cooked it all. He sent five different dishes to table his friend sat at and took a seat after it was spread out for him.

"So, the base here is next, right?" Shinji asked, he sighed when he receive a nod from the eating man, "Be careful, Ragna. They already know you're here and they've most likely begun to prepare for you. I wouldn't be surprised if they've bolstered their numbers, since a Lieutenant came by searching for you, and then they may place them in layers. It's a common military method, after all."

He hadn't realized he had folded his hands and leaned against them, "Take out one line of cannon fodder, then another. Eventually, you'll be exhausted and they'll use the big guns. Militaries are all the same." Shinji took grabbed a glass one of the workers brought to him and took a sip before continuing, "They take advantage of the common people while squeezing every lesser option until they have no choice but to employ things that damage their credibility. Even then, they will blame the target…No matter how many people they hurt or inconvenienced with their actions."

Ragna slowed down mid-bite and thought the information over before swallowing, "It might be a bit more dangerous than the usual, but it should be doable. The thing is, though, Jubei said someone was here…He sounded worried, so I know it's not something to spit at." He growled a bit. "It's gotta be some strong bastard but he wouldn't tell me jack shit about'em."

"Hm," Shinji gave him a nod, "I want you to hold off the attack until tomorrow, I'll try to dig something up."

"Heh, I was wondering what happen to that Vigilante, Red Eyes?" Ragna asked in a mocking tone. Shinji just shook his head as he stood up.

"He only hunted when cash was a necessity, never for sport. You're his friend not his mark, after all," Shinji said with equal mocking before he turned around with a wave, "Anyway, I'd say stick to the shadows today, but I know it's pointless. Somehow, I know I'll find you in the middle of an explosion."

Ragna sweatdropped behind him but didn't deny it. He merely watched as Shinji told them to lock up at closing time if he's not back while slipping his gloves on. He couldn't deny it. Shinji was one hell of a person. The brunet could gather information easier than he could without being caught because of that ability of his, and he could beat the brave out of a hardened fighter and still act like a pacifist the next moment.

Three words to describe him would be: powerful, gentle, and loyal. Those were a few of many things that came to his mind when he thought about Shinji. He was powerful against his enemies. He was gentle to the innocent. He was loyal to his friends. There weren't many others he'd trust to have his back.

\\\- Streets of Orient Town -/

It had been a few hours since Shinji had left his area of business, and he managed to get some information about the NOL without letting people know _Shinji_ was looking into the situation. He had some information for Ragna that he felt needed to be passed along.

It led him to walking down the street and seeing a woman who had become very close to him a year or so after he started his restaurant, Litchi Faye-Ling. The woman was the local doctor in the 19th district of Orient Town and they had met through a mutual…friend, to say the least. He was about to speak up when he noticed she was being attacked by a big red guy.

Seeing he friend in trouble, he wasted no time in jumping in and delivering a solid strike to the giant figure's face with the flat of his foot. The power behind his kick seemed to catch the larger man off guard as he was sent skidding back a few feet. Shinji eyed the man and recognized as the Red Devil through his contacts.

Not taking his eyes off of his opponent, he asked, "Litchi, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am…Thank you, Shinji," she sounded surprised and shocked by his entrance, "You should leave! He's looking for y-for Red Eyes!"

Shinji wanted to laugh but he understood what she meant. She was worried that he would get hurt; after all, this wasn't a common street thug. She had never seen him in action, and this was the Red Devil, Iron Tager, "Don't worry. I've got this under control."

In a fight like this, he needed to be confident. This was someone who could beat if he screwed up, but he refused to change and use his powers wantonly. It was all about taking advantage of one moment and taking the big tank out.

"So, you have information on Red Eyes, as well," Tager brought one arm across his chest and the other one back before he leaped forward. The red giant gave a mighty punch that Shinji jumped over and placed his left foot on for a split moment but it was enough. Shinji leaped over the giant and grabbed the hairs atop his head.

The agile brunet turned his body upright before lashing legs out in a spin and thrust himself downward behind the giant's head while still gripping his hair. He used the momentum to swing his body to deliver a powerful knee strike to the back of the Red Devil's head. It held so much force that it knocked the giant red man to the ground.

He let out a sigh as he heard the red man groan while slowly getting up. With the gasp he heard from Litchi followed by silent shock, he could assume she didn't expect that from him. Shinji smirked, "You should get up and get serious. There are too many above average beings in this world for you to underestimate someone."

"You are correct. Opponent has been acknowledged as an S Class Threat," Tager stated as he slowly rose from the ground. Shinji lifted an eyebrow at the change in status. Wasn't he basically called out as a civilian just now? The Red Devil straightened his back, and seemed to be listening to someone before he spoke again, "Target identified as Red Eyes the Vigilante. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner. I'm beginning the mission!"

Shinji was shocked to hear his title spoken, and it cost him. He received a punch that sent him slamming into a wall, cracking it, and he fell to the ground with a pained grunt.

"Shinji!"

He could hear Litchi calling out to him but he was alright. He was built stronger than humans after all, but that hit…It felt like a few of his ribs were cracked from that direct strike. It was all because he lost focus. It was a rookie mistake that he should have known better than to let happen. If he was piloting an Eva, Misato would be ranting his ears off.

"If you give me any information on Hakumen or turn yourself over without much hassle, it would much appreciated," the not so gentle giant said as he proceeded to carry out another strike, knowing the vigilante wouldn't accept a loss just yet.

"That hurt like a bitch…" the young angel hybrid groaned as he made to stand, only to have to roll to the side to avoid a punch that caused the wall to crumble where he stood, "I guess I have to be careful, but you got me pretty good back there."

Tager was a large guy and his attacks could kill a normal guy. It didn't help that his defensive capabilities were outlandishly strong around his body. He was built to be a tank but he had a flaw because of that. He was slow, heavy, and he could be toppled easily at the right angle. With that in mind, Shinji didn't waste a moment. He needed to finish it before he started using special techniques.

"Sorry about this!" He ran over before the massive man could pull his arm from the wall and gave him a thrusting left knee to the head, followed by a reverse spin kick with his right, and swung himself forward in a fast front flip to finish with a falling left axe kick, "Dancing Arrow!"

The brunet used the final kick to throw himself into the air above Tager's falling form, "It's not done yet!" The sides of his shoes glowed white before he kicked his leg out and produced a wing shaped, blade of glowing, blue wind from his left shoe aimed at Tager's back, "Cobalt Plume!"

Tager regained his senses mid fall and threw himself to the side and managed to escape the main brunt of the attack, only getting slashed across the lower back, leaving a considerable slash on the giant's back that had been frozen over. When the giant looked where he previously stood, he gasped in shock.

The ground had a decently deep trench carved into it, and the trench was frozen solid.

"Dammit, it missed…I'm a little rusty then," Shinji muttered as he landed from his extended air time. He ran over and jumped to finish the fight, giving an all-out, right legged stomp to Iron Tager's face, knocking him back and apparently out. He remained focused before sighing and moving away from him and groaned as he stretched. Several of Shinji's bones popped, and his right leg was aching. "I really should get out more…I was so stiff!"

"Shinji, are you okay?" Litchi said, she was worried about him, but she sounded angry too. What did he do? Oh, right. He ignored her warning…

"I'm fine. I just haven't really _fought_ in a long time," he said, and he relaxed when he heard her sigh in relief but it was just a ruse. "OW!"

She hit him! Litchi actually slapped him hard enough to knock him to the ground. He was shocked! When Shinji finally regained enough control to form words, he couldn't. The sight before him stopped him cold.

Litchi was crying.

**Shinji is still himself as later monologues will show but he's gained things that were missing from him in canon. His confidence is a major factor in his change. He's not arrogant but he tends to be proud of certain things he's accomplished. This applies to his dining establishment, but who wouldn't be when their restaurant is loved by all classes and brings them all together in an environment where they can either accept it or let the door kiss their ass on the way out.**

**Anyway, the pairing for this is a triangle, Shinji X Noel and Shinji X Litchi. Before anyone goes off tangent, yes this will alter the storyline, but it should be obvious his presence would throw things askew when he has been there for years. He knows a good number of the characters, but there are more who know of his vigilante identity. There are only a handful of people who know his identity at the moment, even if he doesn't know who they are.**

**I wonder how many people can tell why he can't be recognized easily…**

**Anyway, many questions may be answered as we go.**

**As you can tell, I'm trying to establish a technique system and trying to set a way to give him an unlimited form of which should be obvious what it is. He's going to have a combat style change when he uses his unlimited form.**

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**PROFILE**

**Name:** Shinji "Red Eyes" Ikari

**Gender:** Male

**Race:** Nephilim

**Date of Birth:** June 6th

**Birthplace:** N/A (Since it doesn't exist)

**Height:** 5'11"

**Weight:** 157 lbs.

**Blood Type:** A

**Eye Color:** Ice Blue

**Hair Color:** Dark brown, almost black

**Weapon: ****_Royal Flush_** (a two-part weapon set)

**- Crazy Eights (Gloves-type Armagus) –** Black gloves that were designed with black metal exoskeleton with four clusters over the knuckle of both hands hence the name, Crazy Eights. It provides a slight increase in punching power as well as giving the user the ability to discharge repelling bursts of energy upon contact that can give him room to recover and it damages the enemy as well. They burst into flames to provide higher damage when Lucky Seven is fully activated.

**- Lucky Seven (Shoe-type Armagus) –** The Lucky Seven were designed to provide protection to the feet as well as give a way of attacking. The have a black metal lining around the sides that arm to appear normal but they tend to glow when an attack is charged. The Lucky Seven provide two main attacks. One uses Seithr normally but the stronger one requires a series of seven strikes within a measure of time to activate, hence the name Lucky Seven.

**Relatives:** Dead

**Hobbies:** Cooking and making his own recipes, cleaning, feeding the Kaka clan, playing his cello, playing with his AT-Field

**Values:** Friends, peace, his freedom

**Likes:** A good chat, moments to relax, clean environments, quiet walks

**Dislikes:** Tyrants, manipulation, civilian casualty during fights, over cooked food, messy workspace and home

**Drive:****_ Divine Rush_** (Normal Usage of AT-Field to trap and block opponent while attacking with Royal Flush.)

**Overdrive: ****_AT-Nemesis_** (Makes use of both AT- and Anti-AT-Fields in impossible ways. This form is identified by a red Halo appearing over his head as he begins to float.)

**Special Attacks:**

**_- Dancing Arrow –_** A series of three kicks that finish with an Ax Kick to lift himself above his opponent.

_**- Overruled –**_ A rising kick followed by a charged punch that forces the enemy back, can also break guard at half power.

**_- Great Divider –_** A powerful kick laced with blades of ice.

_**- Watch Your Step –**_ Leaves spikes of ice of the ground to damage enemy or set them up for a follow up attack.

**Distortion Drives:**

**_- Cobalt Plume (Ground or Air) –_** While on the ground, he kicks leg out to produce a burst of frosty energy that leaves a trail of crystal blue feather-like fragments in its wake. While in the air, he kicks leg out to produce a blade of blue energy that share resemblance with a bird of prey. It also leaves feather fragments.

_**- Morning Star –**_ His fist glow with power before he unleashes a barrage of energized punches that launch their force directly through the enemy. The last hit lands squarely in their stomach before firing an uppercut that sends them airborne.

**_- Corona Supreme –_** When his Lucky Sevens is fully activated, he rushes forward and gives his opponents a powerful kick and locks them in place with his AT-Field as the element effect creates a thin frost over their body. Then, he places four open-centered At-Fields that converge over one another in one location on the opponent's torso before the flames of his fists unite on one fist. Then, Shinji punches into the center of the AT-Crosshairs. The end result is an intense white, flaming punch that ignites in a blaze of glory.

**Astral Finish:**

_**- Reign of Heaven: Divine Advent –**_ Shinji transforms into his Angelic Form before forming a massive AT-Field over the battle field before it releases an otherworldly hum followed by a beam of light that nearly obliterates everything it touches.

All the while, the spectral image of a beautiful blue haired woman with red eyes holds her arms open as if welcome the world into her embrace as her white wings spread into the distance. After the attack is complete, thousands ethereal feathers rain from the sky as phantasmal wings momentarily appear on Shinji back.


End file.
